There has been a lot of speculation in the last couple of weeks that Sara Ramirez (Dr. Callie Torres) will be leaving the cast of Grey's Anatomy later this season.

We have not reported these rumors to you so far because they are only that - speculation. But given the sheer amount of attention they're generating, we're going to now. Nothing you read below is confirmed, but some of the rumors and theories are:

• That Sara Ramirez will be departing Grey's Anatomy after episode 15 or 16. This past week's episode, "These Ties That Bind," was the eighth of Season 5.
• That Brooke Smith is not the only one being let go from the show, and given her relationship with Smith's character, Erica Hahn, Sara Ramirez is next.
• That Sara might be headed back to Broadway, where she was a star.
• That Melissa George's character Sadie was brought in (or possibly re-written after Smith's departure) for Eric Dane's character, Mark Sloan, because the ABC executives wanted a different, fairly big-name actress for his love interest.

Again, this is pure conjecture and nothing more. But What do you think of these Grey's Anatomy rumors - and have you heard any others? Share with us ...

Amid rumors of her Grey's Anatomy character getting a brain tumor or going all Ghost Whisperer on us (see theories in our Round Table), Katherine Heigl was all smiles as she dined with her husband Josh Kelley at the Desert Rose restaurant in the Los Feliz area of L.A ...

NOT FEELING GREY: Regardless of what's going on with Izzie Stevens or Katherine Heigl's contract, the actress was certainly in good spirits. [Photo Credit: Splash News Online]

While fans gather in our Grey's Anatomy forum to discuss each character, couple and plot twist, the Insider staff comes together to talk about some of the best moments and share opinions regarding the latest episode of our favorite medical drama.

Topics for our Round Table for "These Ties That Bind" include the show's new direction, Cristina and Owen, Little Sloan and Little Grey, and the lack of MerDer drama ...

1. So, Grey's Anatomy appears to be the new Ghost Whisperer. Are you happy with this direction?

McCritic: No. I'm all for fairy tale love... in fairy tales! Shonda and the writers can't take pride in how realistic their show depicts relationships, only to create a story line based around interaction with a ghost.

missingBurke: I'm all for more Denny Duquette, but this development strains credulity.

iheartizzie: Hallucinations occur when an individual has a tumor in the temporal lobe of one's brain. Therefore, I can only imagine this angle is a way for the show to slowly reveal Izzie's long-rumored brain tumor. If that's the case, you gotta hand it to the writers for crafting an interesting (and handsome!) way to bring on the disease.

Has Dr. Izzie Stevens (Katherine Heigl) officially lost it?

2. Will Mark heed Derek's advice and keep "Little Sloan" away from "Little Grey?"

iheartizzie: Unlikely. That's like someone on The Bachelor actually finding love on the show.

McCritic: I'm actually gonna say yes. Via his relationship with Callie, a softer side has developed to Mark. He'll respect his best friend's wishes.

missingBurke: Of course not. Mark isn't a bad guy, but the part of the body he thinks with isn't exactly in his head.

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Welcome to the 132nd edition of the Grey's Anatomy Insider Caption Contest!

This week's Caption Contest winner is McNorway. Congratulations! The winning entry appears beneath the photo, with the full list of submissions further down the page.

Thanks to all for playing and best of luck again in this week's edition!

Cristina: If Sadie doesn't get her hand off my best friend, they are gonna be calling her "Death," 'cause I killed her!

Happy Friday, Grey's Anatomy fans.

There's a lot to say about last night's episode, but in case you need a refresher first - or just want to relive the action - our episode guide to "These Ties That Bind" is live.

Our photo and video sections contain some great pics and clips, and our pages dedicated to last night's quotes and music (works in progress) should help you remember or figure out the song / line that you loved. Our staff Round Table discussion is still to come, too.

The incomparable Denny Duquette, Jr., played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan.

As always, our Grey's Anatomy forum is open for discussion, and your comments are welcome on any of the articles on our site. Share your thoughts and views on the things you loved and hated with fellow members of the web's #1 Grey's Anatomy community!

Last night's episode of Grey's Anatomy, "These Ties That Bind," gave us a lot of memorable moments, but this particular one stands out as the biggest. How can it not ...

Told You I Was Real

Wow. Just wow. We're dying to know what you thought of this scene and the episode in general, so please, chime in throughout the day with your theories and opinions.

Follow the jump for two more videos from last night - Mark reaching out to Callie as she tries to let go of Erica, and an apology-turned-passionate-kiss between Cristina and Owen ...

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Grey's Anatomy writer Stacy McKee, who authored last night's episode, has posted her thoughts on "These Ties That Bind" on the show's official writers' blog for fans.

Below is an excerpt, with a link to the full column at the bottom ...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hahn isn’t dead. But she IS gone. And Callie Torres is feeling it - sort of. Callie’s diving into work. She wants bones to break, skeletons to build, SOMETHING to keep her from thinking about Erica. Erica played an unbelievably important role in Callie’s life; Erica’s relationship with Callie has completely redefined how Callie sees herself. That’s something you can’t undo.

Erica’s departure has left Callie with this big gaping hole that she has no idea how to fill. Callie had just started to figure out her own feelings, her own identity and now - Hahn’s gone. Without a goodbye. Whether or not Callie and Erica were ever soul mates, you can’t deny that they played irreplaceable roles in each other’s lives. The heartbreak that Callie is feeling is very very real.

And very very private until – she starts to cry, and cry and cry and cry, in the OR, over the bones that she built from scratch. She’s crying for all the loss and heartbreak and sadness she hasn’t allowed herself to feel yet. Which is why it’s lovely that Callie’s friends - Yang, Sloan, and even Owen Hunt - recognize the moment for what it is and try to give her the privacy she needs.

Callie isn’t the only one feeling a lack of connection.

It’s clear that Owen is having difficulty adjusting to life at SGH. He calls in Derek and Mark for help, then disregards their concerns about his patient. I love watching Owen’s face when he’s listening to his patient’s story, about how somewhere along the way the patient just lost the ability to connect.

It’s clear that it resonates with Owen, and it’s only after that moment that he really becomes receptive to Derek. And I think that it’s because of that moment that Owen goes in for that kiss with Cristina… Owen doesn’t want to lose his ability to connect with other people. But, obviously, he’s having some difficulty connecting gracefully – that kiss isn’t soft or romantic.

It’s a little desperate - at least at first.

Follow the link for the full writers' blog entry ...

Battlestar Galactica star Mary McDonnell graced Seattle with her presence last night, even if she didn't quite fit in with the socially charged gang.

Her character, Dr. Virginia Dixon, has Asperger's syndrome, which means she's got the intellectual skills for the gig, but isn't exactly a social butterfly.

Plus, after Dr. Burke and Dr. Hahn, she is the show's third heart surgeon in five seasons. Will Virginia Dixon survive the cardiac character curse?

Mary McDonnell spoke to E! Online a little about that ...

Why Seattle Grace Wants Her: Although Virginia's a little socially awkward compared to the rest of the raucous bunch, Mary said, "Dixon's a crackerjack surgeon, and to me that's what is thrilling about the role—to be able to support the brilliance of Asperger people, because quite often they are extremely brilliant in one area, and we, as a society, need their contributions."

Why Seattle Grace Doubts Her: The doctors are a little unsure of the new heart doc. So how do they take to her? "They're forewarned when she's coming that she is a little off, but they don't really know exactly what that means until she's there," said Mary.

Why Seattle Grace Needs Her: The hospital has fallen in the national rankings this season, and the Chief has desperately been trying to fix the place up, hence Dr. Dixon's entrance. Mary said, "She has supposedly the second-lowest death rate in her surgeries in the country, so this woman is really good at what she does, and they need her. The question is, does she need them enough to make the move?"

Why She Needs Seattle Grace: Mary wondered why it is, really, that Virginia comes to SGH: "What would motivate this woman, and why would she need the money? If it's money, why? What's her backstory? Does she have family? I have this sensation that she needs the job, she needs to move."

Is this just a thoughtful actress meditating on her own character's personal history, or will we learn there is more to Dixon than we know so far? Stay tuned.

Coming off the disappointing cancellation of NBC's Journeyman after one season and HBO's Rome after only two, Kevin McKidd (Dr. Owen Hunt) has been added as a series regular to one of TV's top dramas in this, the current Season Five of Grey's Anatomy.

"I am excited to have Kevin McKidd joining us for the season," the creator and executive producer of Grey's Anatomy, Shonda Rhimes, said Wednesday.

"Kevin is a delight to collaborate with and brings incredible passion, talent and creativity. Plus, he's already got the 'Mc' built in to his name so we had to keep him."

McKidd, who started off the season as a guest star, is now on board full-time as the Army surgeon who recently returned from Iraq, the lone survivor of his unit.

As the new head of trauma at Seattle Grace, Dr. Hunt's on-the-fly method of medicine often clashes with the teaching hospital's typical, by-the-book style.

"He's pretty uncompromising but also willing to learn," said McKidd. "There are a lot of contradictions in his character, but that's what makes him interesting."

McKidd said that he was disappointed when Journeyman wasn't renewed after the writers' strike of last winter/srping, but that becoming part of the ensemble Grey's Anatomy cast has been a welcome respite from the breakneck pace of being the star of a show.

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One week after the departure of Erica Hahn (Brooke Smith) from Grey's Anatomy, new face Sadie (Melissa George) arrives to shake things up in Seattle tonight at 9 p.m.

Also, this week's episode, "These Ties That Bind," marks the first for Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd) as a full-time character. Now that's positive news everyone can agree on!

Another terrific guest star, Mary McDonnell, makes her debut tonight as Dr. Dixon. As one fan put it, she's the biggest thing to happen to the show since ... Kevin McKidd!

For a preview of what transpires tonight, check out our gallery of photos, as well as the videos we've assembled from the episode so far. More to come after the episode airs.

As always, you can discuss it before, during and after the show in our Grey's Anatomy forum, and/or by leaving comments on any of our posts. Tell us what's on your mind.

Tomorrow, we'll also add a full recap, music guide, Round Table and more!